In Your Arms I'll Stay
by MagicalBender
Summary: Mericcup week has begun! A small three part story of Merida's and HIccup's new relationship. Follows Mericcup Week Prompts for Days 1, 2 and 3!
1. One's Trash is another's Treasure

**Hello! My first Mericcup fic, and I'm excited! **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

_Merida is about to go back home from visiting Berk, and she wants to spend her last day with her best friend. However, he seems to have other plans in mind. [ Part 1(ish)/2 ] _

**One Man's Trash is Another's Treasure**

"Whit are ye doin'?" Merida asked her Viking friend. Hiccup and Merida was currently in Gobber's smithy, and Hiccup was working with old scrap metal that had been thrown away. She had hoped to get her best friend out to explore the Island more before she left for home the next day. Instead, Hiccup had all the scrap metal of the Island brought to the smithy, apparently to "recycle", and see if he could use it for his project.

"I'm gonna try to see if I can make Toothless a better wing with any of this," Hiccup answered, but without stopping his inspection of every piece of flat metal he collected.

"But this is trash," Merida hesitated, and even held one twisted piece that was so rusty, it clinged on Merida's fingers. She dropped it, and tried to wipe it off on her dress. She was sure to get a scolding from her mother later. "I woulnae use this fer anythin'. I' isn't safe."

"Oh, you'd be surprised what you can do with this stuff," Hiccup said quite pleased, as he apparently found a piece that looked perfect to him. "Don't underestimate trash, Mer."

Merida was still not sure about it. "Ah don know," she expressed her doubt. "Any weapon or contraption ye make out o' this will beh useless; an' Ah raelly don think Toothless woul' even let ya get near 'im with this stoff."

"Don't worry," Hiccup said without looking at her, examining the piece he found pleasing earlier. He smiled at it, and Merida then knew he was not to spend the last day with her before she went back home. It kinda hurt, and gave Merida the impression she over welcomed her stay.

"Well then," she said slowly. "Ah'll just spend the day wit Toothless. Per'aps Ah'll hang oot with Astrid for awhile." She backed off as Hiccup began to heat the oven.

"Ok," he answered absentmindedly, completely focused in his job. "I'll see you off tomorrow."

Merida was ready to give him a piece of her mind for being so insensitive, before Gobber walked in.

"Hiya doin' there princess?" the Hook-handed Viking asked. "I didn't expect tae find ya here."

"Ah was jist leavin'," Merida said sharply, surprising the man before promptly exiting the place.

Gobber turned to see Hiccup looking after her, a bit sadly for a moment before turning back to whatever he was doing.

"Isn't the princess leavin' tomorrow?" Gobber asked, wondering himself why Hiccup didn't leave with her.

"Yeah," Hiccup replied a bit down, and turned to Gobber. "She's upset with me, isn't she?"

"Upset?" Gobber hooted, and walked over. "She was ready tae beat ya tae the pulp when I came in. Why exactly are ye here?"

"It's a surprise," Hiccup explained, heating the metal. "I kinda need the whole day, but I couldn't tell her that. So I made it seem like I was just busy."

"Well, whitever yer making, it better be good," Gobber advised. "I don't think she's gonna fergive ya fer pulling off what ye did."

"Yeah," Hiccup gulped.

* * *

Merida waited on the end of the boardwalk for Hiccup, as the last of the supplies were being brought in. It was barely dawn; the captain had advised to leave as early as possible. Not even the town had awakened, yet. Toothless stood at the other end, making sure he saw her off, even if his master didn't. The princess looked at the dragon fondly, wondering when she was going to see him again.

If Hiccup was bored of her like he's been showing, probably not too soon. Merida mused about Hiccup's behavior the previous day, and thought about his absence at the breakfast table. Her face fell just a bit, as everything seem to confirm her suspicion.

"Princess," the captain of the ship called her. Merida turns to face him. "The ship is ready tae sail."

She nodded, and turned back to see if Hiccup was anywhere to be seen. Instead, she saw Astrid. Her eyes widened. The Viking girl only smirked.

"Thought I wasn't gonna come see you off, right?" Astrid said.

Merida smiled. "Tae beh honest, no," she admitted. "Ah thought everyone woul' beh sleepin'. "

Astrid walked over to her, and looked at the crew and ship.

"Looks like you're ready to go," she observed, and folded her arms. "So, who you waiting for?"

"Well," Merida blushed a little, but didn't let Astrid see it. "Hiccup actually. He said he woul' sae meh off. Ah need tae go now though."

"You know Hiccup," Astrid said dismissively. "Says one thing and does another."

Merida sighed. "Ah can't wait any longer," she looked at Astrid. "Can ye tell 'im Ah said goodbye?"

"Sure do," Astrid nodded. An awkward moment descended between the girls.

"We're not hugging."

"Fine wit meh."

They exchanged smiles though.

"Snotlout will be heartbroken," Astrid called after Merida as the ship sailed away. "He wanted to see you off, too. I guess he slept in. Boys."

Merida laughed, and only waved back. Soon, Astrid was just a dot. Then, Berk was gone from the horizon.

* * *

Hiccup ran as fast as he could towards the harbor, carefully carrying his gift. He cursed at himself for sleeping in. The detail of his gift carried him long into the night, and by the time he came home, everyone was sleeping. He just hoped he wasn't too late.

He saw Astrid sitting on the dock with Toothless by her side, but no boat or Merida were in sight. The sound of his prosthetic foot pounding on the boardwalk alerted the two occupants of his arrival.

"They left," Hiccup stated, breathing heavily.

"Yep," Astrid said nonchalantly. Hiccup's heart sank.

"Ugh!" Hiccup wanted to yell at himself. "I can't believe I slept in! I told her I would see her off."

"I know," Astrid said, still calmly, and began to swing her feet off the dock. "She waited for you, you know. Some friend you are"

"She did?" that stopped Hiccup from his pace. "Wait, did you see her leave?"

"Yep," she repeated. She looked over at him and saw what he held. Her expression softened; just a bit.

"That's pathetic," she drawled. "You practically wasted an entire day making her that. Psh, I don't know why you keep her around if all you're gonna do is lock yourself up in that smitty to make art projects all day."

"I don't keep her around," Hiccup said, offended. "And this took forever to make so that it would come out good."

"So she keeps you around?" Astrid asked, trying to dig something out of him. "She's a bit bossy, and honestly her hair is a little weird…"

"She doesn't keep me around! We keep around each other; and her hair is perfectly fine!"

"Why do you keep around each other, then?" Astrid finally asks, and keeps a smirk back at Hiccup's reaction.

"Well, because, we…" Hiccup stumble over his words. Astrid and Toothless both looked unimpressed.

"We're best friends," he finally says, not really wanting to reveal the real reason.

"Best friends don't make each other that kind of stuff," Astrid stands up. She pats Hiccup on his shoulder.

"Don't worry," she says. "Your little crush is just a phase. You'll get over it."

"What?!" Hiccup shouted, not sure how she found out. "What makes you think that?!"

"Well, what part?" Astrid asks. "The fact that you have a crush, or the fact that you have a little crush that doesn't mean anything? I say it doesn't mean anything because instead of grabbing Toothless and flying your butt to wherever her boat is right now, you decided to humor me. So?"

Hiccup seemed to be taken aback, and realized the truth behind her words. He turned to Toothless.

"C'mon buddy, we gotta go."

"Where?" Astrid asked, pretending not to know.

As Hiccup strapped himself in, he said, "I got a boat to catch."

* * *

Merida was in her cabin when a crewman knocked on her door. She opened it, to see what had happened.

"Yes?" she answered.

"Th' chief's son came 'ere tae sae ye, yer highness," he said respectfully, his words shocking Merida. Without another word, she rushed outside.

Toothless was flying off the side of the ship when Merida came out. His flapping wings created a bit of a wind, pushing the sails off course. Merida laughed, as Hiccup nearly fell flat on his face, in order for Toothless to fly a bit farther away to appease the bothered crewmen.

After brushing himself off, Hiccup paused when he saw Merida. To entertain herself a little, she crossed her arms and tapped her foot. He had the decency to looks a bit sheepish.

"I, uh," Hiccup began eloquently. "I-I slept in."

"Yeah," Merida said crossly. "Ye did."

Hiccup sighed. "I'm sorry. I was up until vey late making this-"

"Are ye tired o' seeing meh?" Merida suddenly asked before he could do anything.

"What?" he asked disbelievingly. "Why would I-"

"Because ye ignored meh yesterday!" Merida cut him off again, her frustrations coming out. "Ah mi' not come again in a long time, and ye barely 'ave time to visit meh! Instead o' spendin' mah last day flying or huntin with ya, ye wanted to smith something! Whit kind o' a friend does tha'? Even Astrid came tae say goodbye!" Merida raised her arms in frustration.

Hiccup couldn't say anything for a moment, not realizing how much he hurt Merida. Astrid was right; what kind of a friend does that?

But that's exactly why he did it. He didn't want to be just her friend anymore. When he saw Merida calm down, he worked up the courage to say what he was going to next.

"Are we still friends?" Merida asked, as she held herself, looking expectantly at him.

"No," Hiccup said firmly, surprising Merida. "At least, I hope not."

She looked at him in shock, and her eyes widened as he produced a marvelously detailed metal rose, that gleamed where rust had not destroyed it.

Merida gasped and looked at him with a questioning expression.

"I hope that we're not just friends anymore," Hiccup's voice never wavering. "We've been spending a lot of time together, and I wanted to make you something before you left that says more than I could without sounding like an idiot."

He handed the rose over to Merida. She handled it delicately, like it was the real thing. She gazed at it, completely in awe of how much like an actual rose it looked like. The detail was what got to her; every line, and ridge of a petal carefully shaped, and the leaves with visible veins going through it.

"I hope this makes up for yesterday," Hiccup said, hopefully. "I just wanted you to have something to remember me by."

Merida smiled softly, and looked up at Hiccup.

"No, it doesn't make up for yesterday," she said calmly. Hiccup's shoulders hunched, and felt like his whole self deflated with failure.

"But here's something to remember meh by," Merida said, taking Hiccup by surprise.

She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. Hiccup stood still, stunned by the electric shock that went through him as her lips made contact with his skin.

Merida quickly stepped back, feeling the same little shock, and her face felt bright red. She laughed at his face, and Hiccup smiled fondly at her, knowing full well that this wasn't a mistake.

"Now, gae," she laughed. "Ye cannae make Toothless wait all day fer ye." She pushed him towards the side of the boat.

"I'm going, I'm going," Hiccup laughed. Toothless saw him, and began to fly closer towards them.

"When can I make it up to you?" Hiccup asked as he secured himself on Toothless. Her smile made his heart beat just a little bit faster.

"One day," she said nonchalantly, teasing him. "When yer not tae busy makin' meh more of these."

"Will I get a kiss for each one I make?" Hiccup teased back.

"Ye cheeky bastard!" Merida grinned. "Off with ya!"

Hiccup held his hands up in surrender. "C'mon Toothless," he said. "Let's go home."

Merida watched them as they disappeared over the horizon. She looked back at the rose he made, still in awe that he created such treasure out of trash.


	2. Breakaway

Breakaway

"Where are you taking me?" Hiccup asked his girlfriend as they hiked through the pristine forest. The day was beautiful, with no cloud in sight, and the sun shining bright. The forest was green and shady, a slight breeze blowing gently, and the day could not have been more perfect for a hike.

Merida giggled, making Hiccup smile, and said, "Beh patient! Ah found this place a while ago wit Angus, and Ah want ye tae see it."

Hiccup shook his head fondly at her; she only blew a raspberry in retaliation. She turned back to the trail, but Hiccup kept looking after her. Once again, Hiccup questioned how he got so lucky as to have Merida agree to be his girlfriend.

Three months after Hiccup gave her the metal rose as Merida was sailing home, he came to visit DunBroch. For a while, he was nervous as how to greet Merida when he saw her again, still not sure how his actions left their relationship. Their letters seemed to have avoided the subject, Merida only talking about her chores and Hiccup of dragon training. However, when he arrived on Toothless two days ago, he found Merida waiting for him with a large pile of scrap metal.

"Ye still got tae make it op tae meh," she said simply, but her sideways smile showed her playfulness.

The next thing he knew, Merida swung herself on him and kissed him full on the lips. The small shock that he had experienced with her pink lips on his cheek all those months ago, was nothing compared to the bolts of electricity that pulsed through him as she pressed herself to him. Hiccup wrapped his arms around her, and held her there as long as he could.

"I have to make a lot of roses to make up for that one, huh?" Hiccup said, dazed and blushing madly once they separated. Merida laughed into his armor, blushing just as furiously.

"Ye better get started," she grinned, looking up at him. "Ye've got a lot more comin'"

Hiccup happily complied since.

That morning, Merida had awoken Hiccup from his sleep, wanting to show him a place that she found a month earlier. Although he wasn't too keen on waking up so early, her bright eyes filled with excitement filled him with energy and a willingness to make her happy.

They left without Angus or Toothless, deciding that they should leave their companions to rest.

This is where they found themselves at the moment; with Merida leading them to their secret destination, and Hiccup thinking the gods must really like him now.

The redhead climbed over a fallen tree trunk, her wild curls springing as she jumped down. Hiccup followed, but didn't have the grace as she did, and fell on the other side. Merida laughed, but helped her boyfriend up.

"Are ye alright there?" she said, even looking him over, and patting off any grass just to be sure.

"Yeah," Hiccup said, a bit embarrassed. He cleared his throat, and tried to appear nonchalant about it. Merida noticed his attempt at covering his wounded pride, but said nothing, letting him. "Let's just keep going." He said, not wanting to admit he lost his footing because he was still looking at her in awe.

Merida shrugged, and turned away, with a smile pulling at her lips; the same lips that kissed him willingly, and very well, just two days ago. Hiccup felt a blush creeping up his cheeks, but continued to follow her trying to think of other things.

Soon, they arrived. Hiccup looked at Merida skeptically as she paused to look at it.

"A wall of rock?" he pointed at the wall, covered in vines and reeds.

"Nae!" she exclaimed, and placed her hands on it, and moved them along, as if she was looking for something behind the vines.

"Angus threw meh off bah accident," she explained, still feeling for an opening. "Ah thought tha' Ah was gonna break mah head against th' wall, but instead, Ah flew right pas' the vines, Oh!"

"Merida!" Hiccup shouted, as his girlfriend fell behind the wall of vines. He followed suit, and found her sprawled on the ground, hair covering her face completely. The princess blew her hair off her face, and looked up at him unimpressed.

"That's how it happened," she said, annoyed at the falling through again. Situations were reversed, as he helped her up, and checked if she was alright.

"Ah'm fine, Hiccup," she said impatiently, then looked around them. "We're here!"

Hiccup paused, and looked around.

Right on the other side of the vines, was an enclosed area of solid rock. It looked like a faerie's haven; with a small fountain producing a pool of fresh water, the sun shining through the open space above, and flowers growing everywhere. Vines grew up the wall as well, flowers sprouting along the veins, covering the entire area. It reminded Hiccup of the enclosed space Toothless used to hide in. This was on a much smaller scale, though, and much more colorful and beautiful.

"What is this place?" Hiccup asked curiously, walking into private space. He knelt by the pool and touched the water, finding it cool and fresh.

"Ah don' know," Merida answered. "It coul' 'ave been jist natural causes, but look whit Ah found."

Hiccup looked over to see Merida pushing away some vines from the wall. He walked over, and saw what she was pointing at.

"In memory of Eileen," Hiccup read aloud. "Lost at sea to save her husband Cagan. Wife, mother, and…"

"Selkie," Merida whispered.

"Selkie? What is that?" Hiccup asked Merida, curious at her reaction to the word.

"There are legends o' people who come from th' sea," Merida explained, touching the writing with her slim fingers. "They are actually creatures, that shed seal-like skin to mingle with humans. Some even marry, and have children. The woman this man, Cagan, married, was actually a selkie. She probably could not return with her husband once she wore her sealskin again. They were broken apart."

Merida was quiet, and Hiccup looked around the place again. The more he examined the place, the more he realized it was much too perfect to be natural.

"He kept this place," Hiccup said aloud. Merida faced him, eyes showing her confusion. Hiccup elaborated, "Cagan kept this place, in memory of his lost wife. As much as Mother Nature is creative, this place looks too man-made. I mean, look at the fountain. Rocks don't naturally pile on top of one another to look like a perfect stack. These flowers don't grow by the hundreds in the forest."

"Then this must have been a special place for them," Merida realized, and suddenly felt like she violated a sacred place. "Why woul' he pick a spot so secluded? This was their secret haven. These were probably her favorite flowers. Of course, being a selkie, she must 'ave missed being by whater every now an' then; so he made th' fountain."

"That must have been a long time ago, though," Hiccup said as he examined a patch of flowers, and looked at the vines again. "No one's been here for awhile. Weeds have been growing, and the vines need a good trim."

"Maybe we shoul'n beh 'ere," Merida said quietly, holding her arm. "As feel terrible for comin' in 'ere now. Whit if they're spirits are 'ere now?"

Hiccup noticed her discomfort, and walked over to her. He placed an arm over her shoulders to try to assure her. She welcomed the gesture, and wrapped her own arms around his torso. Hiccup wasn't sure what to do for a moment, still not used to it, before settling on holding her in return.

What they didn't see, were the wisps that were watching them, hidden among the think vines. The small floating flames looked at each other, and pointed to the couple standing in the opening. Most don't know that wisps don't really see the physical appearances of people; they see their souls. They had missed this couple, wondering where they gone all this time.

It seems that fate can never break these two apart.


	3. Against the Clock

Against the Clock

_[[Quite frankly, I hated the last one I made. So, taking my time this time, I rewrote an entirely new one. It's not all Mericcup in a sense, and not a lot of dialogue; but honestly, I love it. I did the research on each magical creature I wrote down, and I imagined a personality that might go with each description_.]]

* * *

The news of Merida's arrival spread like wildfire to all the spirits that dwelled in the magical realm of the forest. The wisps that had seen her in the selkie's haven had told everyone. The little blue flames flew out of the place, and searched for their fellow spirits.

Some of the wisps flew by the trees, and whispered at them. Suddenly, tree nymphs appeared. The little tree caretakers at first didn't know what the wisps were saying. When the name "Merida" was spoken, they began to mumble excitedly. Opening their tiny wings, each nymph flew up to a tree. Waving their little hands, and golden magic wrapped the trees, making the leaves greener and the trunks looks rich with color. They knew how much Merida loved the trees, and they loved it when she took the time to admire them, and even caressed them, appreciating the majesty.

Other wisps flew by closed buds, and awakened the small gwyllions, to let them know Merida had arrived. The little flower faeries jumped out of their flowers, and with the same golden magic, made their flowers bloom just a little earlier than planned. They knew how much Merida loved the rare seasonal flowers, and they loved it when she took the time to coo over them, even picking a few little treasures to take back to her home.

Finally, the kelpies and Naiads of the river were told. Just like the others, the water spirits grew excited that their favorite human had come back. The kelpies ran under the water, their hooves hitting the riverbank, letting the trout know that their beloved archer had returned. Some needed to swim along if she got hungry and wanted to eat. The naiads made sure the river stones and pebbles were shined to perfection, so that she could wade in to collect some. They knew how much Merida loved to cool herself in the river after a long hike, taking a drink and maybe even a swim, enjoying the clear waters that the Naiads would prepare just for her.

Although Merida never saw them, the spirits knew exactly who she was. They've watched her grow from a little girl, to a fiery teenager, to a brave young woman. The fiery princess was a girl after the forest's own heart; and for that, they loved her. Even the Green Man, the greatest spirit and caretaker of the woods, had a fond adoration for Merida, and made sure the blessing of the forest was always upon her.

However, they were all to be greatly surprised.

As the nymphs saw Merida walk in, they were greatly surprised to see that she had not come alone. Some of them quickly hid behind trees, although they were already invisible. As the archer and the newcomer walked through the trail, the nymphs waited for her to stop and admire the trees the way she usually did. She never stopped. Instead, she laughed at something the human boy said. The nymphs noticed their linked arms, and wondered at the intimacy between them. They looked at each other, but only shrugs were exchanged. They looked back, and Merida still had not spared one glance to the trees. At this, the nymphs wondered what they had done wrong.

The gwyllions went into their positions as they heard someone turn at the bend of the trail. They were shocked to see another human walking with her. Not only walking, but holding her arm; and from what they could see, holding Merida's undivided attention. In fact, it was the brunette boy who noticed them. He briefly released her arm, and quite clumsily ripped some of the flowers from their roots, stepping on some by accident. The faeries were outraged, and they were expecting the princess to scold the stupid boy for not being more careful. However, she did not. Instead, she seemed to be pleased with his gift of flowers, and only teased him for his slight struggle, to which he blushed. The gwyllions were greatly confused, and watched as she walked away with the oaf; their patch left with an ugly, empty spot that looked like a deer trampled on it. The small, disillusioned faeries began to wonder what they've done wrong.

The naiads and kelpies were no less surprised than their counterparts. Merida brought the stranger in the water with her, and even dared splash the water they prepared for her at him. The stones that were meant for her, she gave to the boy. He seemed pleased, and placed them in his pocket, most likely, to be forgotten. The water spirits could not fathom the princess' behavior. She usually kept the best treasure to herself. They wondered if they didn't make the stones shiny enough for her to keep, or if it was something else they did wrong.

As Merida and her new companion walked away from the forest, hands intertwined, into a small meadow, every spirit had gathered at the edge of the forest. They were bewildered, distraught, and even a little heartbroken. They looked after them, and once again wondered what had happened. Suddenly, a slight breeze carrying the scent of fresh dew and pine blew passed them. They all turned, and saw Green Man himself. His clothes was made of green material known nowhere else on Earth, his eyes of the most precious shade of emerald. He usually had a jolly demeanor, but what the spirits saw worried them.

He had a sad expression on his face as he looked over them. They turned back, and saw Merida and the stranger touching foreheads. It became clear to them then.

A different kind of love had entered her life; a kind love that overshadowed her devotion for the forest. The Green Man sighed. The spirits looked back at him, hoping for some kind of solution to this mess.

Yet, the Green Man surprised them by shaking his head. It was the circle of life; and love was at the center of it, he explained. There was nothing they would do to stop it.

The spirits looked back once more to the couple, and saw them walking away, still holding hands, back to man's natural setting of stone and metal. The spirits grew mournful, believing they had lost their little girl to time and love.

The Green Man saw this, and comforted them with one thought. Merida would have children one day. Children, who, he said, would have her same love for this place.

This animated the spirits greatly, and one by one, went back to their habitats. Green Man was the last to leave, still looking into the empty meadow, feeling like he was slowly losing a daughter. In all his eternity of wandering forests, never did he believe he would ever feel that their time with a human, such as she, was against the clock.

* * *

As the years went by, Merida's visits slowly declined. When she did come back to her old haven, the spirits took advantage. They offered the best they had for her to enjoy. The boy would come with her at times, and luckily Merida taught him how to treat the forest more kindly. Eventually, she stopped coming at all.

Years after that, new little ones appeared. It was a random day, and the spirits were busy with their usual occupation. When they heard some running, they hid, habits never breaking. It was a child, a little girl, with straight, brown hair. What got their attention were the wide, blue eyes that reminded them of someone. Right after the girl, another one came in; a boy. This one had green eyes, but with the unmistakable red hair. The sprits jumped with joy.

Right after the children, came in a couple, arms linked. They called after the children as they little human children continued to run. The spirits instantly recognized the woman, and set to work immediately.

"I swear," Hiccup said to his wife. "Every time we come in here, the forest just…blooms."

Merida laughed, her movement shaking the crown on her head. "It's always like tha'," she assured. Yet, even she noticed the considerable amount of life that suddenly colored the forest.

"The sprits love you, Merida," Hiccup said softly. "They've always had. And it seems like they haven't forgotten you."

Merida could only smile, as she let her hand caress the trunks. She later picked some flowers, gently as to not hurt the roots. She taught her children how to find the best stones in the river. All the while, the nymphs, gwyllions, naiads and kelpies could only celebrate at the return of their beloved human.

* * *

[[ _It was 11:34pm when I got the inspiration for this. Merida didn't stop coming to the forest just because of Hiccup. I mean, she was growing up, and her responsibilities in the castle, I'm sure, kept her busy and unable to visit. This piece was originally gonna be about Merida's parents losing their daughter, but I felt this was much more magical_.]]


End file.
